NEED TO KNOW
- An Iowa woman won the lottery by carrying on a tradition she and her late husband observed for years
- Marjory Rittman and her husband Dale, who died in March, spent their Saturday nights playing crossword scratch-off lottery games together, often telling each other that they were “going to hit the big one”
- “This is maybe a sign and a gift from him,” she told lottery officials while claiming her prize
An Iowa woman’s tradition with her late husband led her to score a big lottery prize.
Marjory Rittman, a resident of West Des Moines, wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary on Saturday, Nov. 29 — she was simply carrying on a tradition she had with her husband, Dale, who died in March.
For years, the couple spent their Saturday nights playing crossword scratch games, often telling each other that they were “going to hit the big one,” Marjory told Iowa Lottery officials.
About eight months after Dale’s death, their shared routine finally paid off. Last weekend, Marjory spent her snowy Saturday evening playing the $100,000 Mega Crossword scratch game — and was shocked to discover she’d won the top prize.
When Marjory went into Iowa Lottery’s headquarters on Monday, Dec. 1, she described the moment as “absolutely surreal.”
“I just sat there and stared at it awhile,” she said. “We were always waiting for that big one to come through, and it finally did.”
She added of her husband Dale, “This is maybe a sign and a gift from him.”
The $100,000 Mega Crossword scratch game costs $10 to play and features 46 top prizes of $100,000. In addition, there are 92 prizes of $10,000 in the game, which has overall odds of 1 in 3.29, per the press release from the the Iowa Lottery.
The game is played with a set of letters provided on the ticket, and players work to form words out of letter assortment. The more words they can form, the better prize they’ll secure.
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Marjory told the Iowa Lottery she intends to invest most of the prize money into a retirement fund. But, she added, she’s allowing herself a few treats and splurges, like new furniture.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling problem, please contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network at 1-800-522-4700 or go to gamtalk.org.
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